


I See Your Flight Delay, And Raise You A Tornado Warning

by artbyweb86



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Adrenaline, Bad Weather, Boys In Love, Buck Whump, Buck helps people before he realizes his injuries, Buck is still on blood thinners, Eddie Whump, Family, Family Fluff, Firefighter Buckley, Hurt Eddie Diaz, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, M/M, Natural Disasters, Photographs, Photography, Plans For The Future, Tornado, Tornado Sirens, Wedding Planning, Worried Eddie Diaz, bobby nash is buck's dad, flight delay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25614109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artbyweb86/pseuds/artbyweb86
Summary: Buck and Eddie just want to get home. But a natural disaster decides to intervene.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 257





	1. Chapter 1

They were sitting side by side in the airport waiting for their flight. They were leaving Texas after visiting Eddie’s parents. 

While they were there, they took a few days to go camping. Just him and Buck for a little romantic getaway. Chris was staying with Maddie and Chim. They would check in with him every night, showing him the stars if they had enough reception for a FaceTime call.

Eddie was reading a book and Buck was listening to music, knee bouncing with the beat.

There was an announcement overhead, that several flights will be delayed as a big storm was forming along their flight path. 

He looked out and he could see angry clouds in the distance. He checked their flight information and confirmed that they would be delayed at least two hours.

There had been a collective groan from the passengers around him, as they also discovered the delay time. He watched as a large majority of them all got up to go stretch, go to the bathroom or wander off for food. The food court and restaurants were a little further in from where their gate was.

It was getting close to dinner time, so he decided to stretch himself and wander the airport to find some decent food. There were only vending machines nearby. He tapped Buck’s knee to get his attention.

“Hey Buck.” He removed a headphone from his ear.

“Yeah, Eds?”

“Our flight has been delayed at least two hours.” Buck made a face. “I’m gonna go find some food. What do you want?”

“Umm…turkey wrap if they have it. Chips and a soda too.”

“Sure thing.” He pressed a kiss to Buck’s cheek before putting the dangling headphone back in his ear.

Buck just smiled brightly, grabbing his hand and pressing a kiss to his palm before letting go.

He smiled shyly before heading away and towards the direction of food. 

He was still getting used to showing affection in public, as he always felt he was a private person. Buck made him feel less insecure about it. His, “I don’t give a fuck,” attitude when people would stare or make a comment under their breath. They didn’t get much of that. But if they did, Buck would stare right back, non threatening, a polite smile, until they usually backed off. If he were to do that, there might have been an altercation. Buck had said he just had that look about him. 

He was working on his non-threatening looks. Practicing in the mirror or on Chris, until he would dissolve into a fit of giggles. He hoped that was a good sign. Buck just said he looked constipated when he tried it on him.

Glancing back, Buck had his eyes closed and head bobbing to the music again.

He loved that man. So much.

He walked through a small tunnel with windows that led to all of the shopping and food. 

Rain was starting to fall and pelt the windows hard.

Crossing his fingers, he hoped that it would be a quick storm and they could be on their way.

He slowly made his way along the strip and saw a place that looked good for warm food. Pizza and sandwiches. 

He got in line and only had to wait a few minutes before putting his order in. He grabbed a couple sodas and chips as he moved toward the register. The rain seemed to be coming harder now as he could hear it on the the roof.

“Sounds crazy out there.” He engaged the young guy at the register.

“Yeah, we’ve had storm delays all week this week. It hasn’t hit here, but with this heat wave, storms have been crazy for travelers. People have been grumpy all day today. Thanks for being nice.”

“Hey, I am a firefighter. I understand. Sometimes we are the heroes, then other times it feels like a thankless job.”

The kid nodded, handing his food over the counter.

“Have a good one!”

He waved and made his way back towards his gate.

He stopped when he saw a bookstore and snacks.

There was a book that he had been wanting to get. He had noticed it in one of the stores when they arrived in Texas.

He wasn’t a very spontaneous person and never bought anything without some research.

Like his truck. Buck had been right about keeping up with payments. He had to downsize to a smaller truck, one that was smaller and more practical. He didn’t know what he was thinking. It was not good for Chris anyway. He could barely get in and out without help, which was Chris’s biggest complaint.

Selfish.

Shaking his head, he walked into the little store. The book was on full display as it had just come out recently. He grabbed that and then perused the snack wall. He grabbed the Bugles, one of Chris’s favorite. They could never find them in the stores now. And a couple more odd snack bags that he liked to munch on while on the plane. He got double of everything, knowing Buck will like to sneak a hand in and steal some.

The girl a that counter gave him a tired smile and rang him up.

As she was handing him the items in a bag, his phone buzzed. A second later, an alarm rang throughout the building.

The girl looked at her phone, scrolled for a second, and her eyes went wide,

“Sir! You are gonna have to get behind something. I don’t care if you mess anything up, pull one of those shelves over here and cover yourself! A tornado is almost on top of us! Oh, god!” She squeaked as the lights started to flicker. She ducked behind the desk.

He glanced around to see people scrambling to take cover. 

He knew the bathrooms were too far away. They have been converted into shelters only a few years ago.

So he grabbed the nearest shelf and dragged it around to where the girl was and huddled with her as they could hear the building groaning and wind and rain was lashing the windows of the tunnel that wasn’t too far from where they were.

The noise was deafening. 

He covered his ears, just as he heard glass shattering.


	2. Chapter 2

Buck was feeling good.

His music putting an extra positive spin on their successful trip they had just been on.

Eddie’s parents had been rather shocked by the news when they had first gotten together, two years ago. They weren’t in full support of this, so they never went out of their way to get to know him.

But, that all changed when they started including Chris in their FaceTime calls. Chris would gush over what Buck was helping him with that week. School work or little side projects. Eddie would sneak pictures of them working diligently in the bedroom or on the couch. If Buck was cooking, he always included Chris to help with something. Eddie would always sneak a snippet of a video to send to them.

They then started to inquire more about him and it started to feel like they were family too.

Eddie’s mother was surprised when he called her once for cooking advice on one of Eddie’s favorite dishes. Or when he had a parental question about Chris. She would always answer the best she knew how.

They had flown out to see them a few times. Eager to see Chris and get a tour of the firehouse and see where they both lived. He had given up his apartment, and fully moved into Eddie’s place only recently.

They had finally gotten some vacation time. Maddie and Chim agreed to look after Chris. Call it practice for the future, they had said. Chim had given a little wink. He wasn’t sure if that meant Maddie was pregnant or they were trying. He didn’t really want to dive to much into their love life. He shuddered at the thought.

Time with the parents had gone well. Their romantic camping trip was even better. It had been a long time since they had been fully alone. 

His song was cut short when his phone pinged. Severe thunderstorm warning. Well, that much was obvious as he glanced up noticing that it was quite dark out now. The rain pelting the windows in heavy bands. Wind was whipping up too.

There were a few people milling about, looking a bit nervous as some moved away from the windows. The rest had gotten up and went for food as Eddie had done after the delay was announced.

He got up to stretch his legs. He still had to move around and not sit for too long as he still had a clotting issue.

Yes, he was still on blood thinners. The doctors had thought he was out of the woods when they removed the screws and plate from his leg. His leg was healed and a follow-up had showed he was clear and they allowed him to taper off the meds. His next exam was three months later and they found a clot in his foot. So he was back on the meds full time. It had been a big set back. He was still able to work, thankfully.

_Pathetic._

_Exhausting._

His spiral was cut short when his phone pinged again and an alarm sounded around him.

His heart stopped when his phone said tornado warning.

The people at the front desk had ducked down under their desk, announcement phone dragged with them.

“Please take cover as soon as possible! Tornado! Take Cover!”

He wasn’t sure what to do. He saw people running towards the bathroom. Other people heading up the windowed tunnel. 

This felt like the tsunami all over again. He had ducked into the game tent, but the water was already on them and sweeping them into the streets.

He didn’t know what to do.

The windows were rattling and bending with the wind. The rain was like that of a whiteout snowstorm. He couldn’t see anything past the glass. The noise that was surrounding them was indescribable. 

Loud. 

Disorienting.

He didn’t know what to do.

He saw the window at the far end of the terminal shattering, so all he could do was duck behind the seats as the windows kept shattering closer and closer to him.

He felt the strong burst of air and rain hit him first. He grabbed onto the bottom of the seats. Thankful they were at least bolted to the floor.

The wind whipped and he could feel the glass falling on him. His legs and arms burning as the wind whipping the glass around him. He kept a hand over his eyes to protect them. He really wished he wasn’t wearing shorts, as they seemed to getting the brunt of the impact. 

It felt like he was being churned by the ocean. The wind whipping in all directions.

He might have been screaming. Or was that the wind? He couldn't tell.

And just like that, after what seemed to be an eternity, everything stilled.

He didn’t move for a few seconds. And just listened.

The alarm had turned off. Lights were flickering.

There was no wind. Only a light rain falling now. Clouds were clearing.

As if nothing had happened.

He slowly stood, wincing as he did. 

Looking down to assess himself, his arms and legs were bloody and scratched up as if he had been in a fight with a mountain lion. He ran a hand though his hair a few times, and small shards of glass fell to the ground.

He was alive.

Firefighter Buckley kicked in as he remembered that there were other people there too. Glancing around, he saw only a handful of people huddled behind seats like he had done. 

He searched his seat and grabbed his zip hoodie, that miraculously stayed put, and slipped it on carefully. And began to move towards the people who looked just as stunned as he felt.

No one seemed severely injured, just cuts on arms and hands. He told them to move to the other side of the terminal where the windows had survived.

He checked the bathrooms and gave the all clear to the people huddled in the stalls. And then began checking under all the chairs that were closest to the broken windows. Glass was everywhere.

“Sir?” He felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around to see a woman in scrubs and wearing gloves.

“Can you come with me? We should move away from this area so I can take a look at you.”

“I’m OK. I am a firefighter. I am making sure no one is trapped.”

“I understand, and I am an ER nurse. You are bleeding through your hoodie and your cheek is bleeding heavily. I think there is glass embedded in there. Please?”

He sighed and let himself be led away from the area and toward the section he had directed people before, where the glass hadn’t broken and things looked untouched.

She sat him down and carefully unzipped his jacket and delicately peeled it away. She gasped in shock as she started examining his arms and legs. She had a small bag of supplies next to her.

“I should let you know I am on blood thinners. Hence the bleeding a lot.”

She frowned and nodded. 

“Can I ask why you are on blood thinners? You have a dangerous job. I am sure you are aware of the risks that come with such an ailment.”

He just chuckled. She gave him an odd look.

“Oh, I know. You wouldn’t believe it, if I told you.”

She folded her arms and waited. Right. ER nurse. She’s probably seen and heard a lot.

“Alright, I was in a firetruck on the way to a call. A young kid was bent on revenge on my boss for putting his father in jail for arson, soooo, he blew up the firetruck. I was thrown clear, except my leg was trapped under the truck. I was freed, but my leg was crushed. I fought like hell to return to work, and the day before I was supposed to return, pulmonary embolism. I was in a room full of medics and firemen, so they saved me. Oh, and I was caught in a tsunami a week after that. Probably didn’t help the situation any. They thought I was clear after I got the hardware out, until they recently found another clot in my foot. So back on the meds.”

He watched her face as it went from disbelief, shock and then recognition.

“That was you? Wow!”

He just smiled. “Yup. That was me.”

She blew out a breath. “Is it OK if I touch you face? I need to check this piece of glass in your cheek. You are probably going to have to go to the hospital for all of this. Paramedics should be here shortly, barring any road blocks.”

He nodded and she began prodding his cheek. He hissed a little in pain.

“Buck?! Buuuck!? Evan!? Is there an Evan Buckley here?”


	3. Chapter 3

Eddie had pulled the shelf close enough to give them sort of shield, and ducked in close to the girl who had been at the register, when he almost felt the pressure of the wind breaking the glass of the tunnel that lead to his gate only 100 feet away.

The force of the wind was so powerful that it knocked everything off the walls, which unfortunately meant stuff that was also above them too. There was a small shelf of books that landed next to them, missing their heads by only a few inches.

He moved so he was covering the girl with his body. He could feel her trembling. He couldn’t say anything to calm her, because the noise of the tornado was so loud he could barely think.

Another powerful gust shook the shelf he used as cover and it fell directly on top of him. He grunted as it made impact with his side.

He could hear more glass breaking a short distance away, the wind had lessened a little, but was still loud and powerful. The whole building was shaking.

Maybe 30 seconds later the wind, noise and shaking completely stopped.

The girl was still shaking and let out a small whimper.

“Miss? You OK?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Ok, give me a sec. The shelf landed on us. I need to get this off of me and make sure we are able to move about safely. Keep your eyes covered.”

He felt her nod.

The shelf that was on top of him, had emptied itself of all its belongings, so it was a little easier to maneuver off of him. Wincing as he twisted his body.

He stood up and stretched his back. Some pain, but not so bad. A quick intake of breath to test. He definitely bruised a few ribs, He didn’t think any were broken. The backs of his hands had a few small cuts and bruises already forming. From what? He didn’t know. Probably from all the things falling on him.

He helped the girl to her feet and she stared at the disaster in front of them. She seemed OK, just shaken.

Several shelves had been blown out into the hall, mixed with other things from other stores nearby. Food and books everywhere.

His food that he bought had been smashed by the shelf of books that narrowly missed them.

Their food? Buck!

Oh no! He left Buck.

Did Buck know what to do? Did he ever tell him about the shelters in the bathroom? Buck was smart. He would know what to do. Right?

He ripped his phone out of his pocket just as he saw that his parents where calling.

They always follow his flight when he leaves. They always ask for him to text that he will be taking off soon, that he landed and that he is home. They also follow the weather closely.

“Hi Mom. I’m OK. Can I call you back? I have to go find Buck. I was getting food and he was at the gate. I don’t even know what the situation is right now. I left him. Lo dejé allí solo, mamá.” Desperation in his voice. He was trying to navigate his way out of the store.

“Oh, my sweet boy. I am sure he is OK. He knows what to do in an emergency. Call me back soon?"

“I’ll call you soon. I gotta get back to the gate. There is a lot of stuff blocking the tunnel.”

He hung up and called Buck’s cell. It rang until it went to voicemail.

“Go for Buck! You know what to do. Leave a message.” He tried again. Voicemail. 

That didn’t mean anything. No. He wasn’t going to worry.

He sent Buck a quick text and headed to the tunnel, which had been completely ripped to shreds. It was still intact, but the glass had been completely blown out. A couple displays had been dragged and fallen over. The large posters ripped off and on the ground in shreds. Some metal objects he didn’t recognize dangling from the windows. 

He motioned for a few people who had just come out of the bathrooms to help him move stuff. The path needed to be clear anyway for emergency crews should they be needed.

They finally got the path clear. He also evaluated some of the people who were not so fortunate to get to shelter in time. 

He then ran down the path and skidded to a stop in shock. 

The glass had been blown out. Big chunks shattered on the seats. Luggage strewn about. It was just like a war zone. One he had seen before.

He zeroed in on their gate. He saw a few people gathering their luggage, but no sign of Buck.

He heart was racing. He made his way to where they had been sitting. Their luggage had blown a few feet away.

He called Buck again. He heard the familiar jingle. It was faint, but it was there. He looked around the seat. Under the seat. He saw the screen light up.

He grabbed it. Was that blood? He noticed a few drops on the seat as well.

“Buck! Buck! Evan?!” He called out. A nervous sweat breaking out on his forehead. His side burning. But he ignored it.

He saw a group of people huddled by the bathroom, checking their phones.

“Hey, do you know if you have seen an Evan Buckley? Tall. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Birthmark over his eyebrow. He was sitting at gate 25.”

One guy perked up and nodded.

“Oh, yeah! Cool guy. He came in to let us know that the danger had passed.”

“What do you mean? He wasn’t in here with you?”

“No, man. He must not have had time. He was pretty cut up. He was moving people toward gate 10, I think. He was making sure people were OK who also couldn't get cover. He may have gone that way after.”

He thanked them and moved quickly to gate 10. He couldn’t run as his side was killing him now. 

He could see several people sitting in chairs, some with bandages already applied to foreheads and hands.

He could see a woman in scrubs reaching into a bag and pull out gauze as she was kneeling in front of someone.

That someone happened to be Buck.

His stomach churned at the sight. 

Buck’s arms and legs were scratched up. The woman who was working on him, must have cleaned him up a bit. Some wounds still oozing a little bit.

She was working on his cheek, he eyes scrunched in pain.

“Evan?” He whispered. Trying not to scare either party.

Buck’s eyes shot open and gasped.

“Eddie! Oh, thank god! You’re OK! I would have called you. I can’t find my phone.”

The woman stopped prodding his cheek and sat back for a minute, letting him sit in the chair next to him. He carefully grabbed Buck's uninjured hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. Buck brings both their hands to his chest.

He held the phone up with his.

“It was under the seat. Are you OK? Of course you aren’t. Look at your arms and legs. What’s going on with your cheek?"

He went to check on it, when the woman stopped him.

“I wouldn’t. There is a piece of glass in there. He will need a trip to the hospital to treat these wounds, there could be glass in them that I can’t see. And considering his medical history, is highly recommended.”

She took off her glove and held out her hand.

“I’m Shauna. ER nurse out of Florida. I was on my way to a medical conference. So I had a small amount of supplies with me. Lucky for him. He was the worst out of all the people here.”

He shook her hand. Keeping a worried eye on Buck. Buck shifted in his seat, wincing as he did so.

Eddie’s phone was blowing up with text messages, which he ignored. He would have to get back to them later. He wanted to be by Buck’s side.

Buck’s phone lit up, this time with FaceTime. Bobby was on the other end. He really couldn’t ignore that.

He swiped up to answer and Bobby’s face appeared. Worry written all over his face. It looked like he was at the station.

“Eddie! Are OK? Where’s Buck? Why are you answering his phone?”

“I’m OK. Buck is OK too, scratched up a bit.”

"Got beat up, more like it." Buck interjected.

“What?! Buck? What does that mean? Can we see him?” 

“Probably not a good idea. A nurse is…”

Buck sighed. “Eddie, just turn the camera. They are gonna find out sooner or later.”

So he pressed the button that switches the camera. As soon as it lands on Buck he could hear gasps from Bobby and the crew.

Bobby’s hushed voice comes over the screen. 

“Ohhh…kid.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Buck’s face pinched with emotion when he heard Bobby’s soft exclamation. He tried waving, but hissed a little as it pulled at his wounds.

“Hi Bobby. Another natural disaster kicked my ass.”

“You won though. Don’t you forget that. You feeling OK?”

“Yeah, my cheek has some glass stuck in it. And I’m a little stiff. Got blown around pretty good. This ER nurse has been checking on me. She recommends the hospital. I may be more glass than man right now.”

“I would listen to her. I’ll find someone to cover both your shifts. You may not be able to fly out for a couple days.”

Maddie appeared on screen. Tears already in her eyes.

“Oh, Buck. I’m so glad your alive. I’ve been seeing the news and people posting the devastation. It looks awful! Where is Eddie?”

“Right here, Maddie. I’m fine.” Ignoring that his side was still throbbing.

“Oh good. I tried calling you both. I got so worried. Do you know when emergency services will be there? You know what, can you give me to the nurse who was helping you?”

Buck sighed. His sister was relentless. He looked up to see her talking to someone.

“She’s busy, Mads. Helping someone else.”

“Fine, but keep me updated.” She handed the phone to make rounds with the team, as they gave encouraging words.

They hung up and Buck dipped his head down and closed his eyes.

Shauna saw this and came over, eyes worried.

“Buck, you hanging in there?” Smiled when Buck opened his eyes and nodded.

“Just resting.”

“Well, looks like we may be stuck here for a little while. Ambulances are on their way. There are several power lines down, which are being cleared. Can you keep your legs elevated? On the seat or on your luggage? I’ll come back to check on you.”

Eddie got up. “I’m gonna go grab our luggage real quick.”

He squeezed Buck’s shoulder, who nodded and positioned himself on the chairs, so his legs were over the arm rest, and feet on the seat in front of him.

He took him time getting back their gate, since there was no real rush this time. He called his parents saying they will be going to the hospital for Buck’s injuries. Once he knows when and where, they can pick them up there. They were relieved that they were both ok and will be by the phone, should they need to reach them at any time.

He found their luggage, which had been blown several feet away. They stayed intact. They were only a little wet.

He slipped on the backpack, and wheeled both suitcases back toward where Buck was sitting. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

He wheeled both suitcases and put them in front of Buck, and motioned for him to scoot around, so he could put him legs on top and stretch out better.

Glancing up, he noticed the girl that he protected in the store. She was looking around nervously, holding a bag in her hand. Her eyes landed on him and she broke into a big smile. She quickly walked over to their seats. Buck eyeing her confused.

“Eddie? Right? I wanted to thank you back at the store. But you looked so frantic. You forgot your book, and I went back to get you fresh food. The dining area survived. It’s the least I could do. I’m sure you are hungry by now. Is that Buck? Oh, wow! Sorry, that was rude. I’m glad you are OK. Looks like you got put through the ringer. Oh, gosh. I heard you were very brave. Your husband protected me in the store. Anyway, here are some vouchers for the food and the stores, should you travel though here again. Be safe!”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked back up the tunnel, leaving them in a daze.

“She seemed nice.” Buck stated, laughing a little.

“Yeah, you hungry?” Buck nodded. Realizing he was starving.

They both ate in silence, both reflecting on the events of the day.

“Get up for a few minutes and walk around if you can. Go to bathroom. After that I wanna get in some cuddles.”

Buck reluctantly grabbed his hands and slowly maneuvered to his feet and walked around, getting his bearings. Careful not to pull at his more serious scrapes on his legs and he made his way to the bathroom.

He returned and Eddie helped him sit down again, before walking around to the seat behind Buck. He got comfortable to where he could wrap his arms around Bucks shoulders, the only place that wasn’t exposed to glass, and buried his face into Buck’s neck, chin resting on his shoulder. Buck leaned his head to the side, so it was resting on his and they just sat like that for a while.

Buck broke the silence first.

“This is nice. I wish I wasn’t like this though, so I could give you a proper hug.”

Eddie just pressed a kiss to his neck.

“You’re a quick healer. I almost lost you again. So I want all your hugs, all day long, once you aren’t at risk of bleeding out.”

Buck nodded, dipping his head to his meet his again.

“So, husband huh?”

“What? Oh. I didn’t say anything to her. I may have cried a little over the phone with my mom when I couldn’t get to you right away.”

“You cried? You are such a softie! I knew it!”

He chuckled. “I do have a little secret though. Don’t know if you can handle it.”

Buck just jostled his shoulder in response. He pressed another kiss to his neck.

“My dad gave me his father’s ring. I was going to ask you, and plan a special occasion for it. He really likes you, you know. He just doesn’t show it very often."

“Oh, Eddie. Well, you can ask me on the special occasion. Whenever that may be. I don’t want you to feel like you need to rush it, just because we got caught in some dangerous situation.”

Eddie sighed in relief and moved so he could kiss Buck on his lips, who gladly returned it.

He moved to get a better position and hissed in pain, into Bucks lips. Buck broke away and turned to get a better look at him.

“Eddie? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“It’s fine. I might have twisted my back when I went for cover in the store.”

Buck eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t lie to me. I thought I could hear you breathing shallowly before. I know you. You hid your fighting injuries really well.”

He motioned for Shauna who was talking to some of the staff at the gate.

She came over after a few minutes.

“Everything OK?”

“No, I think my boyfriend is hiding an injury. He has been breathing shallowly and when he twisted just now, he was in pain. Eddie, what happened?”

He sighed, knowing he couldn’t get out of this one.

“A shelf fell onto my back. I’m sure they are bruised at least. With all the adrenaline, I didn’t feel much. It’s flaring up a little now.”

“I think he is in a lot of pain actually. He has a high tolerance for pain. And he was an Army Medic turned firefighter. So he thinks he knows everything.”

She just shook her head as she walked around to where Eddie was sitting.

“You know the saying, people in the medical field make the worst patients.”

She motioned for his to lift his shirt as she was putting on her gloves.

His side had blossomed into a nice big bruise, centered over his ribs.

Buck just gasped.

She prodded the area, and pulled out a stethoscope from somewhere and continued her examination.

“There doesn’t appear to be any internal damage, and I think you may have cracked a rib or two. The rest might be bruised. Lucky for the both of you, I see the paramedics and couple stretchers coming now.”

She directed the paramedics over to them and told them the situation.

They helped Buck up onto the stretcher. Eddie would be able to walk out on his own. A staff member at the airport would carry their luggage for them to the ambulance.

“Hey, Buck? Can I have your number? I’m gonna be in California next month. I would like to keep in touch and see how both of you are doing? I may be transferring to one of the hospitals near you.” Shauna asked before they started moving.

“So, you just want to keep tabs on me? See if I can break the world record for how many natural disasters I can survive?”

She laughed. “Something like that.”

He programmed his number into her phone. She shook their hands and watched as they moved up the tunnel.

A few minutes later Buck’s phone pinged.

Eddie opened it and smiled.

He showed it to Buck, who also beamed.

Shauna had taken a picture of them while they where wrapped around each other on the chairs, looking very relaxed, despite Buck’s injuries.

“That would look really good in black and white.”

Eddie just groaned.

“We are not posting that to Instagram."


	5. Chapter 5

Well, the picture didn’t make it to Instagram, but it did became a permanent fixture in their household. Right next to their engagement photo and wedding photo.

Eddie kept looking at the picture on his phone while he was sitting with Buck in the hospital. He looked at it when they were recovering for a few days at his parents home. He looked at it when they returned home.

Buck had stopped bothering him about the photo, saying he was only kidding about posting it to Instagram. He just felt that it was breathtaking.

They were sitting, relaxed, as much as they could be, pain not evident, but looking at Buck, well.

The nurse had taken it, showing them, but it also displayed the chaos in the background.

Calm and Chaos.

Once they were clear to travel again the airline upgraded their tickets, so they could fly first class. More room, so they could be comfortable.

A thank you for helping others at the airport that day.

He looked at the picture several more times.

A reminder of what he could have lost.

They were healed and able to go back to work. Careful to avoid going into unsafe situations unnecessarily. There was always the risk of injury, but they looked out for each other. 

He proposed to Buck when they were sitting on couch watching a movie. 

That simple. He didn’t want to make a big thing of it. They had talked about it anyway. 

Buck tearfully said yes, even though he was expecting it. Well, not right then. But at some point in their lives.

They got set on planning the wedding.

When the planning got overwhelming he would sit on the porch and look at that photo on his phone.

Buck caught him doing that, just before their engagement party.

“Let’s get it framed.”

He didn’t question it. He sent that photo to the photographer after their engagement photos had been taken and asked him to make it large and in black and white. 

The wedding was beautiful. They were married. They wined and dined with their favorite people.

The photographer capturing all the important moments.

Before he left, he showed them a few samples of the airport photo. They picked what they liked and added a few ideas.

They went on their honeymoon, and made love under the stars of their ocean bungalow.

A few weeks later, they got their wedding photos back along with the airport photo.

They were all stunning to say the least.

They hung up their favorite pictures from the engagement and wedding. And below it, was the airport photo.

A reminder of what they could have lost.

A few years went by and every once in a while they would stop in front of the pictures. Especially on a bad day and hold each other. Letting everything sink in again. 

A few pictures had been added. Chris was growing up and he wanted to be included on the wall too. Of him with his many school accomplishments.

“Hey, Eds?”

“Yes, mi amor?”

“We should recreate the airport photo. Not the situation, but you know? I like how calm we were, after surviving something crazy. This one would be a glimpse of our future.”

“I would like that. I’ll see if the photographer we used is available.”

He was and able to come a week later.

Buck was sitting on the couch, Eddie on a stool behind him, so he could wrap his arms around his shoulders like he did at the airport.

The only difference this time, was that Christopher was there, sitting next to Buck, leaning against his arm.

They were all looking down at the newest member of the family.

A little baby girl.

Her name was Maya.

The photo was printed and framed and placed on the wall.

A reminder of what they had gained.


End file.
